Department for Transport

Highway Code

The Earl of Clancarty: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the revised Highway Code will be available in high street outlets; and if so, when.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The new edition of The Highway Code will be available in print from all the usual outlets, for example bookshops, in April 2022.In the meantime, the updated Highway Code is available in full on the Government website.

Trains: Hydrogen

Lord Birt: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to requirerail operators to acquire hydrogen-powered trains to replace diesel trains on routes where electrification is not economic, in order to meet their objectives of (1) removingdiesel trains by 2040, and (2) achieving net zero by 2050.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: As existing diesel trains require replacement we will work closely with operators on the most appropriate traction technology. The government supports the deployment of hydrogen and battery trains to decarbonise the network, where they make operational and economic sense. The government supports this through innovation funding and research. This includes work on safety and wider issues that will have to be considered to allow battery and hydrogen trains smooth entry onto the network. That is why since the start of 2019, the Department has provided just over £4m of funding through Innovate UK-run First of a Kind competitions for new traction technologies.

Railways: Fares

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what increase in fare-only income they have assessed will result from the rail fare increase of 3.8 per cent to be implemented on 1 March 2022.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Department takes guidance from the Passenger Demand Forecasting Handbook on the effects of changes to fares on revenues. There are a number of factors which impact revenues, including most notably at the moment the pandemic’s impact on passenger travel.

Driving Licences: Applications

Lord Truscott: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the average time it takes to renew a driving licence with the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency.

Lord Truscott: To ask Her Majesty's Government what delays there are, if any, in processing driving licence (1) applications, and (2) renewals, at the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The quickest and easiest way to apply for or renew a driving licence is by using the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency’s (DVLA) online service. There are no delays in successful online applications and customers should receive their licence within a few days.However, many people still choose or have to make a paper application and the DVLA receives around 60,000 items of mail every day. There are currently delays in processing paper applications. To help reduce waiting times for paper driving licence applications and renewals, the DVLA has introduced additional online services, recruited more staff, increased overtime working and has secured extra office space in Swansea and Birmingham. The latest information on turnaround times for paper driving licence applications can be found on GOV.UK.Applications where the driver has a medical condition that must be investigated before a licence can be issued will take longer.

Merchant Shipping: Medals

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Vere of Norbiton on 31 January (HL5653), whether there is no comparability between the Jubilee Medal and the Merchant Navy Medal for meritorious service.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Platinum Jubilee Medal is a one-off commemorative medal awarded to all eligible public servants who are serving front-line members of the police, fire, emergency services, prison services and the Armed Forces. The Merchant Navy Medal for Meritorious Service is a state award for those who have served in the Merchant Navy and fishing fleets of the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, the Channel Islands and the British overseas territories. It is awarded to those who have shown devotion to duty and exemplary service which has been of particular value and an outstanding example to others. It is awarded annually and limited to a maximum of twenty medals per year.

Motor Vehicles: Greater London

Lord Moynihan: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have received from the South Bank Employers Group in relation to convoys of supercharged vehicles with modified exhaust systems driving through residential areas of central London; what assessment they have made of any such representations; and what steps they intend to take in response to these representations.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Department’s records do not show any correspondence or representations received from the South Bank Employers Group in relation to convoys of vehicles with modified exhaust systems.

National Highways: Internet

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to amend the National Highways website to provide further information to users wishing to find information on the management of trunk roads in Wales and Scotland.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: National Highways website contains a page entitled ‘Our Roads’, which outlines its management of the Strategic Road Network in England, comprising over 4,300 miles of motorways and major A roads. This page outlines that National Highways does not manage all roads in England, and also directs website users to the Transport Scotland and Welsh Government websites.Roads are a devolved matter, with roads in Scotland being managed by the Scottish Government and roads in Wales managed by the Welsh Government.

National Highways

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government why they renamed Highways England to National Highways; and what costs they have incurred to implement the name change.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The decision to rename Highways England as National Highways was made to ensure the name accurately reflects the organisation as it focuses on delivery of the Government’s plans to maintain and enhance our most important roads, ensuring our road network is safe, reliable and efficient for everyone. The name National Highways helps provide a distinction between local roads, which are the responsibility of local authorities, and the motorways and major A roads which National Highways is responsible for.National Highways has incurred costs of £56,461 to support the implementation of the name change as of the end of January 2022.

Leader of the House of Lords

Written Questions: Government Responses

Lord Hain: To ask the Leader of the House, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Evans of Bowes Park on 26 January (HL5538), what assessment they have made of (1) whether, and (2) how, the Written Answers byLord True on 10 January (HL5119) and 18 January (HL5234, HL5235, HL5236 and HL5360) conform to the criteria set out in the Written Answer.

Baroness Evans of Bowes Park: I have noted the questions referenced, as well as the Noble Lord’s three further questions submitted to the department in question (HL5696, HL5697, HL5698). I would refer the Noble Lord to the recently issued answers to these from the department.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Oil and Natural Gas: Licensing

Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to apply a separate climate compatibility checkpoint for future (1) oil, and (2) gas, licensing on the UK mainland; and what role English local authorities will have in making the assessment of compatibility.

Lord Callanan: The Government has invited contributions on the design of the climate compatibility checkpoint through the launch of a public consultation on 20 December 2021, closing on 28 February 2022. The consultation seeks views on the application of this checkpoint to potential future onshore licensing.

Housing: Insulation

Baroness Hayman of Ullock: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made ofthe (1) quantity, and (2) mix, of insulation that will be needed for typical homes to enable the UK to hit its 2050 Net Zero target in respect of the built environment.

Lord Callanan: The Government has not made a public assessment of the quantity and mix of insulation required to reach Net Zero. There are multiple pathways to achieving Net Zero, all with varying degrees of insulation installed. In pathways where less insulation is installed, more heat demand must be met by low carbon heat. The optimal mix will depend on a number of factors, such as the cost of low carbon heating technologies, and the ability for the electricity grid to meet peak heat demand.

Manufacturing Industries and Supply Chains: Carbon Emissions

Baroness Hayman of Ullock: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) existing UK manufacturing capacity, and (2) associated supply chains, in relation to the capacity required to insulate the entirety of the UK’s building stock in time to meet the 2050 Net Zero target.

Lord Callanan: Government recognises the need for a skilled, competent and robust supply chain to deliver the improvements to buildings necessary to meet our net zero targets. We are continuing to work with the industry to support training in key skills shortage areas and new routes of entry to increase capacity. The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) published research in 2021, ‘Building Skills for Net Zero’, that used the Climate Change Committee’s data to define a skills route map for the UK construction industry. This identifies the roles and expertise teams need to meet the requirements for the UK, Wales and Scotland and can be found here: https://www.citb.co.uk/about-citb/construction-industry-research-reports/search-our-construction-industry-research-reports/building-skills-for-net-zero/

Department of Health and Social Care

Tobacco

Lord Moylan: To ask Her Majesty's Government, furtherto the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities' investigation into potential breaches of the prohibition of characterising flavours in tobacco products, why an American organisation was appointed to undertake the testing rather than a UK one.

Lord Moylan: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities' investigation into potential breaches of the prohibition of characterising flavours in tobacco products, what specific issues have arisen in the export of cigarettes to Roswell Park; whether the correct exports process was followed; andwhen they expect the investigation to conclude.

Lord Kamall: Following an open tender process, King’s College London (KCL) was appointed to undertake testing of a range of products to support the investigation into potential breaches of the prohibition of characterising flavours in tobacco products. KCL’s bid stated that they intended to subcontract the laboratory testing stage to Roswell Park, a world-leading tobacco research and testing institute.  The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities continues to work with KCL to ensure that all cigarette brands sent to Roswell Park for analytic destructive testing are exported in compliance with regulations. We expect outcomes from the testing to be available by the end of March 2022.

Nurses: Migrant Workers

Lord Grocott: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks byLord Kamall on 27 January (HL Deb col 436) regarding the ethical international recruitment of nurses, what ethical provisions were included in the agreements with (1) Kenya, (2) Malaysia, and (3) the Philippines, to which he referred in his Written Answer on 20 December 2021 (HL4956).

Lord Kamall: The Government to Government agreements established with Kenya, Malaysia and the Philippines commit to ensuring fair, ethical and sustainable recruitment and employment of healthcare professionals, pursuant to existing laws and regulations in each partner country. We are working with the Governments of Malaysia and Kenya to develop detailed implementation guidelines which will be published in due course. Our agreement with the Philippines confirms that United Kingdom recruiters will consider the national demand for healthcare in relation to the number of healthcare workers in the Philippines.

Office for Health Improvement and Disparities

Lord Blunkett: To ask Her Majesty's Government when the priorities for the Office for Health Improvements and Disparities will be published; and what prioritisation will be given to work-related health.

Lord Kamall: The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) aims to ensure that people can live more of life in good health and address health disparities. The OHID will develop partnerships across Government, communities, industry and employers, on the factors that contribute to health, such as work, housing and education. The OHID also incorporates working with the Department for Work and Pensions via the joint Work and Health Unit. We will set out further actions on health disparities in a white paper in due course.

Hospitals: Visits

Baroness Masham of Ilton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to encourage hospitals to enable friends and family to come in to (1) visit, and (2) give support, to new patients with (a) brain, and (b) spinal, injuries in order to help with their rehabilitation.

Lord Kamall: Providers are expected to facilitate such visits wherever possible, in a way which manages infection risks. Based on national principles, visiting policies are at the discretion of National Health Service trusts and other NHS bodies which will make an assessment of appropriate visiting arrangements, given the local prevalence of COVID-19 and the design of facilities. Providers are encouraged to ensure visiting can take place and patients may be accompanied where appropriate and necessary to meet their health needs.

Antimicrobials: Drug Resistance

Baroness Masham of Ilton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to include (1) systems leadership, and (2) antimicrobial stewardship programmes, in Integrated Care Systems, to support management of antimicrobial resistance in the NHS.

Lord Kamall: Integrated care systems (ICSs) are asked to focus on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as part of improving health outcomes in their communities. Specialist leads for infection prevention and control, diagnostics and antimicrobial stewardship have been introduced in NHS England regional teams to support ICSs in the management of AMR. ICSs will be required to have plans in place to reduce antibiotic use in primary and secondary care. This will include early identification and treatment of bacterial infections and ensuring that antibiotics are only used for as long as clinically necessary. The NHS System Oversight Framework, which set expectations about how ICSs should work together to improve the quality of care, includes metrics to monitor appropriate prescribing in primary care.

Department for Education

Education: Regional Planning and Development

Lord Watson of Invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the differences between (1) the Education Investment Areas announced in the Levelling Up the United Kingdomwhite paper, and (2) the Opportunity Areas that were announced by the Department for Education in October 2017.

Baroness Barran: The methodology used to select Education Investment Areas and opportunity areas is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/social-mobility-and-opportunity-areas.Education Investment Areas were selected based on poor attainment across key stage 2 and key stage 4 and our interventions will focus on raising attainment by improving school standards.The opportunity areas were selected using the 2016 Social Mobility Commission’s Index and the department’s Achieving Excellence Areas Index. The opportunity areas are working to improve educational outcomes and social mobility for children and young people in 12 areas.The areas will have received a total of £108 million by August 2022, since they were launched in 2017.Education Investment Areas include the 12 local authority areas which contain the opportunity areas. These areas will benefit from both programmes.

Sign Language: Curriculum

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to add British Sign Language to mainstream curriculum classes for (1) nursery, (2) primary school, and (3) secondary school.

Baroness Barran: The government has recognised British Sign Language (BSL) as a language since 2003. Teaching BSL is not a compulsory part of the national curriculum nor the early years foundation stage learning and development requirements. However, schools and nurseries are free to offer BSL and accredited BSL qualifications as part of their wider curriculum, or as a varied programme of extra-curricular activities, to meet the needs of their pupils and children if they wish. There are currently no plans to add BSL to mainstream curriculum classes for nursery, primary school or secondary school.The department is aiming to introduce a GCSE in BSL as soon as possible, provided it meets the rigorous requirements that apply to all GCSEs. The department is working closely with subject experts and Ofqual to develop draft subject content and will aim to consult publicly later this year. The department is also engaging with Ofqual to ensure the subject content can be assessed appropriately and will be working with relevant parties to ensure that a wide range of views are reflected.

Erasmus+ Programme and Turing Scheme

Baroness Coussins: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks byBaroness Barran on 27 January (HL Deb col 434), what was the breakdown for (1) the 16,500 applicants in 2019–20 for the Erasmus+ scheme, (2) the 41,000 applicants in 2020–21 for the Turing Scheme, between (a) undergraduates, (b) graduates, (c) school students, (d) apprentices, (e) youth workers, and (f) staff from educational institutions; and in each category for each scheme, how many students were disabled.

Baroness Coussins: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks byBaroness Barran on 27 January (HL Deb col 434), which countries outside the EU accounted for the 60 per cent of applications for the Turing Scheme in 2020–21.

Baroness Coussins: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks byBaroness Barran on 27 January (HL Deb col 434), of the (1) 41,000 placements under the Turing Scheme, and (2) 16,500 placements under Erasmus+ in 2020–21, how many were for (a) an academic year, (b) an academic term, and (c) six weeks or fewer.

Baroness Barran: Data on Erasmus+ is produced by the European Union. Mobility breakdowns across countries and activities can be found in EU annual reports and factsheets here: https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/resources-and-tools/statistics-and-factsheets and https://ec.europa.eu/assets/eac/factsheets/factsheet-uk-2020_en.html. According to this data, in academic year 2019/20, 16,596 students from UK higher education institutions participated in Erasmus+.Under the Turing Scheme, providers successfully applied for funding to cover over 41,000 individual placements overseas across the academic year 2020/2021. This included over 28,000 in higher education, over 6,000 in further education and vocational education and training and over 5,000 in schools. Further information on eligibility is available in the programme guide here: https://www.turing-scheme.org.uk/news/the-programme-guide-is-now-available/.As the 41,000 placements in academic year 2020/21 relates to planned activity, and the type and duration of mobilities will vary under the Turing and Erasmus+ Schemes, an immediate direct comparison of the figures cannot be made. A fuller evaluation is being planned to accurately compare figures from both programmes.Current eligible durations for activity are as follows:Higher education: 4 weeks to 12 months.Further education and vocational education and training: 2 weeks to 12 months. Minimum durations can be 5 days for those with educational needs and/or disabilities and 1-10 days for participants attending skills competitions abroad.Schools: short term placements can last between 3 days to 2 months and long-term placements can last between 2 months and 6 months.To address the ongoing impact of COVID-19, universities, colleges and schools can adjust plans for activities taking place this academic year if needed. The Turing Scheme is offering flexibility to change the duration, destination and timing of placements. Turing Scheme projects, however, cannot be extended past 31 August 2022 in accordance with government spending requirements.Due to the fact that many providers are changing plans for activities because of COVID-19, this will have an impact on the actual placements that take place. More data on durations will be published once the 2021/22 academic year concludes.From successful applications for the first year of the Turing Scheme, over 150 destinations across the globe were included in plans for placements overseas. Over 60% of activity was planned to take place in countries outside of the EU. A detailed breakdown of each destination, including those outside the EU, can be found on the funding results page on the Turing Scheme website here: https://www.turing-scheme.org.uk/project-community/funding-results/.All destinations successfully applied for in higher education can be found here: https://www.turing-scheme.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/Proposed-Destinations-of-Funded-Higher-Education-Turing-Scheme-Participants-in-2021.pdf.All destinations successfully applied for in vocational education and training and further education can be found here: https://www.turing-scheme.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/Proposed-Destinations-of-Funded-Further-Education-and-Vocational-Education-and-Training-Turing-Scheme-Participants-in-2021.pdf.All destinations successfully applied for in Schools can be found here: https://www.turing-scheme.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/Proposed-Destinations-of-Funded-Turing-Scheme-Schools-Participants-in-2021.pdf.

Overseas Students

Lord Johnson of Marylebone: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to work with the education sector "to enhance the evidence base on international graduate outcomes and to monitor the UK’s comparative position with respect to international student recruitment and the international student experience",further to Action 5 of their International Education Strategy.

Baroness Barran: As set out in government’s International Education Strategy (IES), we are committed to growing the value of education exports with two key ambitions to achieve by 2030: increasing education exports to £35 billion per year, and hosting at least 600,000 international higher education students in the UK per year.We are making good progress against these ambitions. For example, the international students ambition was met for the first time in the academic year 2020/21 with 605,130 international students studying in the UK.The government continues to work with the sector to enhance international student experience, from application to employment, as well as promoting and sustaining the growth of education exports and international student numbers. The actions set out in strategy include items relating to the student application process, graduate outcomes and employability, academic experience for international students and alternative student finance opportunities. We have committed to review progress regularly against the IES and its ambitions.

Overseas Students

Lord Johnson of Marylebone: To ask Her Majesty's Government what regulatory measures the Office for Students is taking to encourage universities to focus as much on the completion, attainment and progression outcomes of international students,as those ofdomestic students.

Baroness Barran: The Office for Students (OfS) published consultations on improving the quality of higher education (HE) in England on 20 January and set out in detail the numerical thresholds which will underpin minimum acceptable student outcomes.International students studying at English HE providers are included in the proposed student outcome measures on continuation and completion rates. If the proposals are adopted, the performance of international students studying at registered higher education providers in England will be considered as part of the OfS’ regulatory assessments. The OfS is not proposing at this stage to include international students in the measures on progression to graduate employment or further study owing to the continuing difficulty in securing a high response rate in surveys for this subset of graduates.Our HE sector is world class but, in line with the government’s manifesto commitment, we are taking serious steps with the OfS to drive up the quality of HE across the sector and to tackle the unacceptable pockets of poor-quality provision which do not offer value for money for the taxpayer or students.Universities and colleges not meeting these minimum expectations will face investigation and consideration of whether they are in breach of their registration conditions, which could lead to sanctions, including fines and reduced access to student finance. These minimum levels are just one factor the OfS will consider. As is currently the case, and as described in the consultation document, the OfS will continue to consider a provider’s wider context, including its student characteristics, before making any final decisions on compliance with registration conditions.This government believes that every student, regardless of background, deserves quality and transparency from their university or provider about their course. These measures are about tackling low quality, and, through the revised Teaching and Excellence Framework, rewarding high quality, and ensuring transparency which, overall, will maintain confidence in our HE sector.

Higher Education: Overseas Students

Lord Johnson of Marylebone: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to Higher Education Statistics Agency data published on 25 January showing that their International Education Strategy target to increase the number of international higher education students in the UK to 600,000 per year has been met a decade ahead of schedule, what assessment they have made of the level of their global ambitions for the UK education sector.

Lord Johnson of Marylebone: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have (1) to update their target of hosting at least 600,000 international students in the UK, and (2)to increase the value of education exports to £35 billion per year by 2030.

Baroness Barran: As set out in the government’s International Education Strategy, we are committed to growing the value of education exports with two key ambitions to achieve by 2030: increasing education exports to £35 billion per year, and hosting at least 600,000 international higher education students in the UK per year.We are making good progress against these ambitions. In 2019, total UK revenue from education related exports and transnational education activity was estimated to be £25.2 billion, an increase of 8.1% since 2018 in current prices. The ambition for international students was met for the first time in the academic year 2020/21 with 605,130 international students studying in the UK.Promoting and sustaining the growth of education exports and international student numbers remains a priority for this government. We have committed to review progress regularly against the strategy and we will keep the strategy and its ambitions under review.

Schools: Pupils

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Education Policy Institute reportMeasuring Pupil Inclusion in School Groups, published on 31 January; and what plans they have to ensure that schools are measured on whether they (1) exclude, or (2) off-roll, vulnerable pupils.

Baroness Barran: The department will consider the Education Policy Institute methodology discussion paper in due course.School performance tables are designed specifically to generate meaningful data from which the public and relevant parties can hold schools and colleges to account. The department keeps all its school performance measures under review and welcomes feedback on how we can refine and improve our suite of measures and the way they are used.Governing boards are expected to carefully consider the level and characteristics of pupils who are leaving the school. They should also deploy maximum challenge to the school and academy trust management teams on any permanent exclusions to ensure it is only used, when necessary, as a last resort. This also includes looking at suspensions, pupils taken off roll and those directed to be educated off site in alternative provision and whether there are any patterns to the reasons or timing of such moves.The government is clear that off-rolling (the practice of removing a pupil from the school roll without using a permanent exclusion, when the removal is primarily in the best interests of the school, rather than the best interests of the pupil) is unlawful and unacceptable in any form and we continue to work with Ofsted to tackle it. Ofsted already considers records of children taken off roll and their characteristics and strengthened the focus on this in the revised framework in September 2019. Where inspectors find off-rolling, this will always be addressed in the inspection report and, where appropriate, could lead to a school’s leadership being judged inadequate.

Primary Education: Assessments

Lord Watson of Invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the British Educational Research AssociationHigh standards, not high stakes: An alternative to SATs that will transform England’s testing and school accountability system in primary education and beyond, published in July 2021.

Baroness Barran: In 2017, the government carried out a consultation into primary assessment in England, with the aim of creating a settled policy in this area. The consultation received over 4,000 responses from a diverse range of backgrounds and specialisms, providing a broad and informed range of views. We are now reaching the end of the programme of reform to the current primary assessment system that consequently arose. As such, the department has no current plans to undertake further major reform.The department is committed to producing and publishing school-level accountability measures, using full-cohort assessment data, which provide important information to support parents when choosing schools. They also help schools to improve and inform stakeholders and the public more widely about how the education system is performing. We keep all our school performance measures under review, and welcome feedback on how we can refine and improve our suite of measures and the way they are used.As primary school tests and assessments will be returning for the first time since 2019, without any adaptations, the results will not be published in 2021/22 key stage 2 performance tables. The usual suite of key stage 2 accountability measures will be produced at school level and shared securely with primary schools, academy trusts, local authorities and Ofsted for school improvement purposes and to help identify schools most in need of support.The government remains committed to regular independent inspection of all schools by Ofsted. Parents rightly value Ofsted reports and use them to inform choices about their children’s education. As well as reporting on the quality of education and effectiveness of safeguarding in individual schools, Ofsted also draws together evidence to provide system-level insights which are designed to support schools.

Teaching Assistants: Conditions of Employment

Lord Watson of Invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the decision by United Learning to reduce the pay of teaching assistants at Salisbury Manor Primary School in Waltham Forest whilst increasing their working hours; and of reports that they propose to introduce a "fire and rehire" policy which would cut the sick pay rights of teaching assistants by 50 per cent.

Baroness Barran: The department does not set pay, terms or conditions for non-teaching staff in schools. Employers have the freedom to make their own decisions according to their circumstances. Most schools follow the local government green book which sets out pay and conditions, and employers are required to pay at least the statutory minimum wage.We cannot comment on individual cases, but the government has been consistently clear that we do not accept the inappropriate use by any employer of ‘fire and rehire’ as a negotiation tactic.When employment disputes arise, the government wants to ensure that employers and employees are able to resolve them quickly and effectively. Last year, we asked the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) to produce comprehensive, clear guidance so that employers can explore all the options before considering ‘fire and rehire’, and to encourage good employment relations practice. This guidance was published on 11 November and is available here: http://www.acas.org.uk/changecontract.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Sahel: Violence

Lord Boateng: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the military takeover in Burkina Faso, and (2) the implications for combating Islamist militancy in the Sahel region.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The UK is deeply concerned about the deteriorating security and political situation in Burkina Faso. As the Minister for Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean set out in her statement on 25 January 2022, the UK condemns the coup d'etat by military forces in Burkina Faso, and calls for the immediate, safe and unconditional release of all members of the civilian government who have been detained, including the President of Burkina Faso, Roch Marc Christian Kaboré. It is vital that all parties remain calm and respect human rights, and for Burkina Faso to return to democratic civilian and constitutional rule without delay. We are monitoring the political and security situation closely, and are working with partners to encourage a swift, peaceful and constructive resolution to events. Dialogue between all parties is required to tackle insecurity across Burkina Faso, and respond to the needs of the Burkinabe people.We are concerned about insecurity and the impact of Violent Extremist Organisations in the Sahel. Through our deployment to the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali (MINUSMA), our deployment of Chinook helicopters to the French counter-terrorism mission Barkhane, and our programmatic support for stabilisation and conflict resolution, the UK is working to build long-term peace and stability in the Sahel.

Nigeria

Baroness Cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government, with regard to the Joint Analysis of Conflict and Stability: Guidance Note, published in June 2017, when anassessment on Nigeria was last conducted; and what is their assessment of the situation in Nigeria, with particular reference to the treatment of Christians in (1) Northern Nigeria, and (2) the Middle Belt.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The UK Government monitors the conflict trajectory in Nigeria closely. We regularly engage with a wide range of actors, including the Nigerian Government and Non-Governmental Organisations, on developments. Conflict assessments also help us to understand the conflict picture. We have commissioned conflict assessments of North West and North Central Nigeria which will be published shortly. A Joint Analysis of Conflict and Stability (JACS) assessment of North East Nigeria, including reference to the treatment of Christians, was conducted in 2018; a JACS assessment for the Delta was conducted in 2021.We are concerned about rising insecurity across Nigeria. Insecurity in the North East, where there is an ongoing conflict involving terrorist groups, is driven by Jihadist ideology. These terrorist groups attack those of all faiths who do not subscribe to their extremist views. On the other hand, we assess the root causes of intercommunal violence in the North West and Middle Belt to frequently relate to resource competition and criminality, as well as historical and ongoing inter-communal grievances. The Minister for Africa discussed insecurity with National Security Adviser Monguno last week, during the inaugural dialogue of the UK-Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership. At the dialogue, hosted in London, the UK and Nigeria agreed on areas of future cooperation to respond to shared threats, and to support Nigeria to tackle a range of security challenges.

Ministry of Defence

Armed Forces: Eastern Europe

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many British troops they are preparing to deploy to the countries on NATO's eastern flank, including (1) the Baltic States, (2) Bulgaria, and (3) Romania; and how many British troops they are preparing to deploy to those NATO countries which directly border Ukraine.

Baroness Goldie: The UK is currently finalising its contribution to NATO's reinforced deterrence and defence posture. We already make a long-term enduring contribution to NATO enhanced Forward Presence in Estonia and Poland (Op CABRIT) totalling just over 1,000 Service personnel. NATO is and has always been a defensive Alliance, which does not threaten Russia or any other country. We remain committed to our dual-track approach of strong defence and meaningful dialogue. In the NATO-Russia Council earlier this year, Allies made clear to Russia that any further aggression that threatens Ukraine's sovereignty or territorial integrity would carry a significant cost.

Armed Forces: Furs

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to stop using real animal fur in items ofmilitary clothing.

Baroness Goldie: I refer the noble Lord to the reply given by my hon. Friend, the Minister for Defence Procurement (Jeremy Quin), in the House of Commons on 14 December 2021 to the hon. Member for East Renfrewshire (Kirsten Oswald) in response to Question 87697.Armed Forces Uniforms (docx, 17.9KB)

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Agricultural Products: Supermarkets

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking along with (1) farmers, (2) growers, (3) wholesalers, and (4) others in the supply chain, to ensure the largest possible variety of British produce on supermarket shelves.

Lord Benyon: What we eat and drink, and how and where it is made, is part of our nation’s story. It provides employment opportunities, contributes to local economies, shapes the landscapes we all value and engenders local pride and identity, right across the UK. We will always champion our hard-working farmers and growers. As part of our wider work on sustainable production and healthy diets we will be looking for ways to unlock opportunities for the sector’s growth, ensuring it is competitive by introducing measures to increase productivity and by investing in new technology, thereby creating a reliable year-round source of top quality domestically produced food and drink, all produced to high environmental standards. The recently launched Farming Investment Fund also supports the creation of on farm reservoirs and irrigation infrastructure. This will directly support growers in producing a variety of crops. The UK has a highly resilient food supply chain, as demonstrated throughout the Covid-19 response. It is well equipped to deal with situations with the potential to cause disruption. Our high degree of food security is built by supply from diverse sources; strong domestic production as well as imports through stable trade routes. We produce 60% of all the food we need, and 74% of food which we can grow or rear in the UK for all or part of the year, and these figures have changed little over the last 20 years. As a Government, we have a Manifesto commitment that we want people at home and abroad to be lining up to buy British. We can all celebrate and support our exceptional British food and drink products by choosing to buy local, seasonal and sustainable produce from local shops and high streets. I am acutely aware of the critical role supermarkets and high street shops play in our food supply chain; both as the direct links to the consumer, and also because of their ability to influence the rest of the food chain. We welcome efforts from all parts of the food chain to promote and source local, British products, and I know that many supermarkets are already taking steps to do so. However, we also need to recognise that supermarkets and other retailers are privately owned, and sourcing decisions are a commercial matter. We are engaging with retailers to identify opportunities to further strengthen their offer on locally sourced food. This includes ensuring a simple and accessible process for local producers to get their products stocked, greater visibility of the local offer in store and on e-shopping platforms and strong representation of local produce across a broader range of product categories.

Outdoor Recreation

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect to appoint a new leader of the cross-government Commission on Access to the Outdoors; and when they expect it to (1) conclude its work, and (2) report.

Lord Benyon: The Access to the Outdoors Commission was a cross government initiative leading up to the Spending Review, considering how to increase access to green spaces. It informed policy development and Defra continues to work collaboratively with other Government departments to seek opportunities to improve access to the outdoors where possible. The Commission has now concluded its work. The Spending Review is providing more than £30 million to improve public access to green spaces in support of health, wellbeing and the environment. We are also investing £9 million to level up urban green spaces across the UK through the Levelling Up Parks Fund. Grants will be given to, and administered by, local authorities, to deliver new green spaces in over 100 of the neighbourhoods most deprived of green space. As announced in the Levelling Up White Paper a new £30 million parks fund will also deliver up to £1 million to at least 30 local parks in England for refurbishment with an emphasis on facilities for young families. In addition, the Farming in Protected Landscapes programme provides additional investment to allow farmers and other land managers to work in partnership with our National Park Authorities and Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty teams to improve public access, and deliver bigger and better outcomes for the environment, for people and for places.

Pigs: Slaughterhouses

Baroness Kennedy of Cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to prevent another mass cull of healthy pigs in the UK.

Lord Benyon: The Government continues to work closely with the pig industry to help them respond to challenges caused by the pandemic, including the loss of exports to the Chinese market for certain pig processors, disruption to CO2 supplies, and a temporary shortage of labour in the processing sector. These together have led to a growing backlog of pigs on farms. On 14 October 2021, the Government announced a package of measures to help address these unique circumstances, including temporary work visas for up to 800 pork butchers, and Private Storage Aid and Slaughter Incentive Payment schemes to facilitate an increase in the throughput of pigs through abattoirs. We are also working with industry to support their efforts on the recruitment and retention of domestic workers. Together with the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), we are working to both expand existing markets and to identify new export markets for pork, particularly lightly processed pork. The Government will continue to monitor the evolving situation and work closely with the industry through this challenging period.

Plants: Non-native Species

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ban the further sale of plants listed in Schedule 9 to the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

Lord Benyon: Water fern (Azolla filiculoides) and Australian swap stonecrop (Crassula helmsii) are banned from sale by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Floating pennywort (Hydrocotyle ranunculoides), parrot’s feather (Myriophyllum aquaticum) and water-primrose (Ludwigia grandiflora), previously banned from sale under this Act, are now among 36 plant species banned from sale by the Invasive Alien Species (Enforcement and Permitting) Order 2019. There are no plans to make the sale of further Schedule 9 plant species an offence.

Inland Waterways and Rivers: Pollution

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government what checks are carried out by the Environment Agency to ensure that water companies report all sewage discharges into rivers and waterways.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: Water companies are required to monitor their processes and emissions, and report these to the Environment Agency (EA). Water companies provide this information through annual data returns or upon request by the EA. The EA runs this through compliance checks to ensure water companies are meeting permit requirements. The Environment Act 2021 also places new monitoring duties directly on water companies requiring the publication of storm overflow spill data in near real time and monitoring upstream and downstream of all storm overflows. The monitoring equipment and processes used by water companies are subject to scrutiny by the EA through inspection and audit and, in the case of flow measurement, by independent and accredited flow experts. These experts are commissioned by the EA to inspect sites and ensure that flow measurements are accurate to exacting quality standards.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Buildings: Insulation

Baroness Hayman of Ullock: To ask Her Majesty's Government (1) whether, and (2) to what degree, they have quantified what proportion of an entire building’s embodied carbon can be attributed to nature-based insulation materials.

Lord Greenhalgh: Embodied carbon can account for a significant proportion of the total carbon emissions over the lifetime of a building, and reducing the carbon emitted during the construction of homes and buildings is an important part of our net zero transition. This particular aspect has not been quantified, but my Department is actively considering what can be done to reduce embodied carbon in buildings, and as part of that will be exploring a maximum level for new builds in the future.

Cabinet Office

Cabinet Office: Bain and Company

Lord Hain: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord True on 25 January(HL5539), in respect of the Cabinet Office’s contract with Bain & Company, reference CCCC20A01-04, (1) what was the procurement process, (2) what work was delivered, and (3) what evaluation of the (a) quality, and (b) value for money, of that work they undertook at the completion of the contract.

Lord Hain: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord True on 25 January (HL5539), in respectof the Cabinet Office’s contract with Bain & Company, reference CCCC18A29 L1 PSP2, (1) what was the procurement process, (2) what work was delivered, and (3) what evaluation of the (a) quality, and (b) value for money, of that work they undertook at the completion of the contract.

Lord Hain: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord True on 25 January (HL5539),in respect of the Cabinet Office’s contract with Bain & Company, reference CCCC18A29-01, (1) what was the procurement process, (2) what work was delivered, and (3) what evaluation of the (a) quality, and (b) value for money, of that work they undertook at the completion of the contract.

Lord True: This question relates to two contracts with BAIN and Company (BAIN): CCCC18A29 and CCCC20A01. These contracts formed part of a portfolio of contracts managed by Cabinet Office in order to support Brexit and Transition Period work across government. The former contract was varied to include COVID-19 response work and was part of the cross-government response. Both contracts are now closed. The below information is publicly available. CCCC18A29 was a call-off contract, awarded following a further competition via a framework agreement. The contract was awarded for a total value of £20m and commenced in April 2018; this included a one year £10m extension option, which was exercised. Additionally, the contract was varied for an additional £5m in March 2019. In March 2020, this contract was extended for four additional months and varied to include COVID-19 response work. The contract ended in August 2019, with a total spend of £12.9m. This contract was used to provide strategic advisory and analytical services to Departments, in regards to the planning and development of policies and programmes. The scope was limited to Brexit and Covid-19 response work. Work was evaluated on a project by project basis at the business unit level to assess quality of outcomes. This fed into the Cabinet Office’s regular supplier performance reviews. CCCC20A01 was a call-off contract, awarded following a further competition via a framework agreement. The contract was awarded for a total value of £30m and commenced in September 2020. This included a one year £10m extension option, which was not exercised. The contract was closed in August 2021, with a total spend of £1m. This contract was used to provide strategic advisory and analytical services to Departments, in regards to the planning and development of policies and programmes. The scope was limited to Transition Period work. Work was evaluated on a project by project basis at the business unit level to assess quality of outcomes. This fed into the Cabinet Office’s regular supplier performance reviews.

Treasury

Debts: Developing Countries

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of levels of sovereign debt on lower income countries' ability to invest in climate change (1) mitigation, and (2) adaptation.

Baroness Penn: The UK recognises the significant debt vulnerabilities faced by many low-income countries and that high debt service levels may impact efforts to invest in and respond to climate change, as well as other development goals.To support low-income countries to tackle their debt vulnerabilities, in November 2020 the UK, alongside our G20 and Paris Club partners, agreed a new Common Framework for Debt Treatment beyond the Debt Service Suspension Initiative. This brings together, for the first time, G20 and Paris Club creditors to coordinate debt treatments following a request from any of the 73 eligible low-income countries. Private sector creditors will be expected to implement debt treatments on at least as favourable terms as those agreed by official creditors.The UK has also committed to double our International Climate Finance to developing countries to at least £11.6bn between 2021 and 2025, continuing to balance mitigation with adaptation spend. Over the last 10 years, UK International Climate Finance has supported 88 million people to cope with the effects of climate change, providing 41 million with improved access to clean energy and avoided or reduced 51 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.As COP26 Presidency and G7 Presidency, we made it a priority to demonstrate progress on the goal to mobilise $100bn a year in climate finance from developed to developing countries to 2025. Under the UK COP26 Presidency, 95% of the largest developed country climate finance providers made new, forward-looking commitments, with many doubling or even quadrupling their support for developing countries to take climate action. It is now likely that $500 billion will be mobilised over the period 2021-25. This means more money for developing countries to decarbonise and adapt to the impacts of climate change.

Alcoholic Drinks: Excise Duties

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the proposed new alcohol duty system, which is currently under consultation, on the diversity, choice and quality of wines available to consumers.

Baroness Penn: As part of the alcohol duty review, the Government has announced several reforms which aim to modernise the taxation system for wine.By moving to a duty system where all wines are taxed in reference to their alcohol content, the Government intends to incentivise innovation of lower strength wines, providing greater choice to wine consumers. In addition, the Government has announced it will equalise still and sparkling wine rates, helping to spur innovation among British sparkling wine producers.The Government is continuing to engage with interested stakeholders on these reforms. A consultation ran from 27 October 2021 to 30 January 2022, and the Government is now in the process of analysing responses. A tax information and impact note will be published following the consultation when the policy is final, or near final, in the usual way.

Individual Savings Accounts

Lord Naseby: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they propose to uplift the maximum property allowance for Lifetime ISAs from the current cap of £450,000, set in April 2017.

Baroness Penn: The Lifetime ISA is intended to support younger people saving for their first home or for later life by offering a generous government bonus of 25% on up to £4,000 of savings each year. These funds, including the government bonus, can be used to purchase a first home up to the value of £450,000. The Government considers that the £450,000 price cap remains suitable to support the majority of first-time buyers across the UK who typically purchase less expensive properties than other buyers. The most recent Office for Budget Responsibility forecast stated that bonus payments will have an exchequer cost of £3.7 billion between 2021 and 2027. The price cap ensures that this significant investment of public money is more precisely targeted towards households that may find it more difficult to get onto the property ladder. First-time buyers who can purchase a home valued over £450,000 are likely to have an income significantly above that of the average household in the UK and are therefore more likely to be able to purchase a first home without the support of this scheme. The Government continues to keep all aspects of savings policy under review.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Wallace Collection: Public Appointments

Lord Crathorne: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made on appointing a new Chair of the Wallace Collection.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: The process to appoint a new Chairman of the Wallace Collection will be a fair and open competition, run in accordance with the Governance Code on Public Appointments. We expect to launch the process shortly. I was delighted to visit the Wallace Collection on 25 January.

Mobile Phones: Rural Areas

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that remote rural locations in the UK which rely on the 3G mobile phone network will have a guaranteed continuation of service when the 3G signal is turned off in 2023.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: The Government welcomes the responsible switching off of 3G networks, and will continue to work with mobile network operators to ensure a smooth transition that meets the needs of business users and consumers, including vulnerable groups.We are committed to extending good quality mobile coverage across the UK. In March 2020, the Government announced a deal with the mobile network operators to increase 4G coverage to 95% of the UK landmass. The Government’s ambition is for the majority of the population to have access to a 5G signal by 2027 and we want to ensure that UK businesses reap the full benefits of 5G.

Social Media: Safety

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have toreplace references to harmful ‘content’ in the Online Safety Bill with ‘content and activity’, to cover the release of new social media products such as virtual reality.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: The Government agrees that the scope of the Online Safety Bill must cover a broad range of online interaction, including both content and activity. This is already covered in the draft Bill. All online activity is facilitated by content: therefore references to “harmful content” in the Bill require companies to tackle harm associated with both activity and content. The Bill also requires companies to consider and mitigate the risks arising from the functionalities and ways in which people use their services, for example to contact other users, share content, or express a view on content through “likes” or “dislikes”. Under the Bill, if a company plans to release a new social media product, including one that enables virtual reality functionality, it will have to mitigate any risk of harm posed to users arising from this.

Cricket: Racial Discrimination

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce an independent regulator for cricket to oversee the progress the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) makes to tackle racism in that sport.

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment theyhave made of diversity in the administration of English cricket; and what plans they have to support or require the England and Wales Cricket Board to increase levels of diversity as a condition of receipt of future public funding.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: Racism has no place in cricket, sport, or wider society. The Government is committed to ensuring sport does all it can to tackle racism and all forms of discrimination.The Government believes that sports should be given every opportunity to run their own affairs wherever possible. However, as the Minister for Sport stated in front of the DCMS Select Committee on 18 November, if other actions do not result in meaningful change, independent regulation remains an option that the Government would consider as part of a range of wider measures to address governance and regulation.We welcome the recent action on tackling racism in cricket from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). We will continue to monitor its actions, including the implementation of the ECB’s new plan for diversity and inclusion. One of the key commitments of this plan is to improve diversity in leadership and governance positions across cricket.Sport England funding is explicitly linked to the development and implementation of robust diversity and inclusion policies and plans. This has been made clear to the ECB, who have responded positively and constructively.The Government will continue to liaise with the cricket authorities on tackling racism and hold them to account on this.